For those who don’t know the tool: Material Maker builds procedural textures and painted looks with node graphs, runs on Godot Engine, and exports materials for engines while you keep your DCC doing DCC things.

1.6 focuses on speed, sanity, and shipping

Material Maker 1.6 lands as a practical release: faster interaction on heavy graphs, new nodes aimed at controlled variation workflows, and a longer list of fixes that smooth daily use. The update keeps the core loop intact. You build textures and materials in a node graph, preview the result, and push assets downstream.

The release moves the app to Godot Engine 4.5.1. That base change pairs with performance work across graph rendering and several parameter editors. Graph rendering now optimizes zoomed-out views, and editor changes target responsiveness in places artists touch all day.

Controlled Variations aims for repeatable variety

1.6 introduces Controlled Variations and related nodes. The release frames this as a system for generating variants of a material look with more control than pure randomness.

Variant workflows matter when you need a family of surfaces that stay consistent across a set, a biome, or a prop library. In day-to-day terms, controlled variation can reduce duplicated graphs and the temptation to fork a graph into ten nearly identical versions you never want to touch again.

Aperture nodes cut the spaghetti

1.6 adds Aperture nodes to keep graphs readable. In and Out nodes connect through a shared identifier that appears as a label on the node. You edit the identifier by double-clicking the label or using keyboard shortcuts, and you can change label color with a key command while the node stays selected.

That feature targets the real enemy of node workflows: scaling up. A small graph stays understandable through wires. A production graph turns into a plate of noodles. Aperture nodes let you route signals cleanly without dragging cables across half the canvas.

Portal nodes and a growing node toolbox

1.6 adds portal nodes, plus a variadic Color Pick node. It also updates multiple existing nodes and editors. The changelog mentions changes around text handling, warp inputs, pixel tools, gradient options, and improved curve and polygon parameter editors. Comment nodes and remote links also receive attention, alongside drag-and-drop improvements for remote and iOS parameters.

glTF export takes a first step

1.6 adds a basic exporter for static PBR materials in the glTF format. The feature targets straightforward export rather than full dynamic graph translation. That still helps in real pipelines, where “get me the baked result in a common format” solves more problems than a perfect one-click pipeline dream. Several export-related fixes also land, including fixes tied to Godot 4 export behavior, missing ORM textures, and improvements to the Dynamic PBR preview and Godot 4 export paths.

Availability, licensing, and Steam plans

Material Maker distributes builds for Windows, macOS, and Linux via itch.io with name-your-own-price, including free. Source code lives on GitHub under the MIT License.

A Steam listing shows a planned release date of July 2026 and lists system requirements. Windows requires Windows 10, an x86_64 CPU with SSE4.2, and graphics support for Vulkan 1.2 or DirectX 12. macOS lists macOS 10.13 with Metal support. Linux lists Vulkan 1.2 support.

https://rodzilla.itch.io/material-maker/devlog/1491329/material-maker-16

https://github.com/RodZill4/material-maker

https://www.materialmaker.org/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4110830/Material_Maker/

The post Material Maker 1.6 tunes graphs and exports first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

For those who don’t know the tool: Universal Animation Library is a generic humanoid animation set from Quaternius, built for quick drop-in use across common engines including Unity, Unreal Engine, and Godot, with source files authored in Blender. It sits squarely between placeholder motion and final gameplay animation, where schedules go to die.

What was released

Artist and asset publisher Quaternius has released Universal Animation Library 2, an expanded humanoid animation pack containing over 130 animation clips. The library is designed around a single universal humanoid rig intended to be compatible with a wide range of characters.

The animations cover a broad set of actions. These include locomotion, melee combat, weapon handling, parkour-style movement, civilian activities such as farming, drinking and fishing, and exaggerated zombie-like motion. The intention, as stated, is breadth rather than stylistic specificity. The pack is positioned as a general-purpose animation resource for game developers and realtime projects. No claims are made regarding cinematic realism, motion capture fidelity, or biomechanical accuracy. This restraint is refreshing and possibly accidental.

Universal Animation Library 2 is out! Godot compatible with 40+ free animations
byu/QuaterniusDev ingodot

What is actually included

Two versions of the library are offered. The standard version is free and includes approximately 70 percent of the total animation set. The source version includes the full library along with the original Blender .blend file, including the rig and animation data. This distinction is important for teams that need to retarget, modify, or debug animation data rather than treat it as a black box.

Engine compatibility claims

Exported versions of the animations have reportedly been tested in Unity, Unreal Engine, and Godot. No guarantees are made about drop-in compatibility with engine-specific humanoid systems such as Unity Mecanim or Unreal’s default mannequin. Any such assumptions would be optimistic bordering on reckless.

Blender source files

The inclusion of Blender source files in the paid source version is one of the more practically useful aspects of the release. Access to the original rig allows studios to inspect constraints, animation layers, naming conventions, and coordinate systems before committing the data to a pipeline.

Free, but not careless

The animations are stated to be free to use in commercial projects (CC0). This continues Quaternius’s long-running approach of distributing no-cost assets with permissive licensing, which has made the site a frequent stop for prototypes, game jams, and suspiciously polished student projects.

That said, free does not mean finished. These animations are clearly intended as a starting point or mid-production solution rather than final hero animation. Weighting, timing, and contact precision will almost certainly need adjustment for production use. This is not a flaw. It is the entire point

Why this matters

For small teams and solo devleopers, a broad and legally safe animation library can remove weeks of work from early production. Universal Animation Library 2 appears aimed squarely at this phase, where function matters more than flair and nobody wants to animate fishing for the fifth time this year.

For larger studios, the value is lower but not zero. The source files may be useful for blocking, previs, prototyping, or testing gameplay systems before bespoke animation arrives. Or before the animation budget does.

Pricing and availability

The standard version of Universal Animation Library 2 is free. But as a Patreon you get extra Stuff – check out his page here.

As always, new tools and animation assets should be tested thoroughly before being introduced into any production pipeline.

The post 130 animations, one rig, zero drama first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

For those who don’t know the tool: Export Helper Pro is a Blender add-on sitting at the very end of asset creation, handling outbound exports to game engines like Unity, Unreal and Godot, with presets that reduce clicks and regret. It lives alongside Blender’s native exporters and does not replace them.

A familiar itch

A newly released free Blender add-on called Export Helper Pro aims to remove friction from one of the least glamorous but most repeated tasks in realtime asset production: exporting meshes out of Blender and into a game engine. The tool is authored by Michael Bridges and distributed via Gumroad as a free download. According to the author, the current version is rebuilt for Blender 5 and is open for public testing.

The add-on has attracted attention partly because of its origin story. Bridges references an abandoned internal Blender plug-in originally developed by Embark Studios, the studio behind Arc Raiders. That internal tool has not been updated for over six years. After examining its code, Bridges revisited their own earlier export tool and rebuilt it with a broader scope.

This context matters mainly as motivation. Export Helper Pro is not a continuation of Embark’s tool, nor is it affiliated with the studio. It is a separate project, written independently, and positioned as a general-purpose utility rather than a studio-specific pipeline component.

What the add-on actually does

Export Helper Pro adds a dedicated Export tab to Blender’s right-hand N-panel in the 3D Viewport. From there, users can export assets using a small set of clearly scoped options without navigating Blender’s standard export dialogs each time.

The core function is batch-style exporting based on context. Users can export all objects in a scene, only selected objects, or one or more named collections. This is intended for modular asset workflows where collections represent discrete export units.

Supported export formats include FBX, glTF and OBJ. FBX is positioned for Unity and Unreal workflows, while glTF is intended for Godot. OBJ is included as a fallback for maximum compatibility, though the author notes it exposes fewer options than the other formats.

Export Helper Pro does not introduce a new file format or a custom exporter. It wraps Blender’s existing exporters and exposes commonly used settings in a single panel. As such, the quality and limitations of the output are those of Blender’s native export code.

Selection, collections and intent

One of the add-on’s central features is collection-based export. Instead of exporting an entire scene or manually selecting objects each time, users can designate a collection and export it directly. This allows assets to be structured semantically in Blender and exported accordingly.

In a demonstrated example, a helicopter asset consisting of 52 objects is exported as a single FBX file by selecting its parent collection. The resulting file contains all objects merged into a single export operation. This behaviour is consistent with Blender’s standard FBX exporter and does not automatically instance repeated meshes.

The author explicitly notes that this is not a substitute for proper instancing or asset optimisation. Export Helper Pro does not analyse meshes for duplication or attempt to restructure assets. It simply automates the act of exporting what the user has already organised.

Origin handling and viewport colour conversion

Among the exposed options is the ability to centre object origins before export. This can be useful when assets need consistent pivots for placement in an engine. The centring operation is applied at export time and does not permanently modify the Blender scene, based on the information provided.

Another option is conevrsion of viewport colours to exportable colour data. This is intended for workflows where meshes are coloured directly in the viewport rather than via materials. When enabled, these colours are baked into the export so they remain visible in the target engine.

Armatures, textures and embedded data

Export Helper Pro includes toggles to include armatures when exporting animated rigs. This aligns with standard FBX and glTF export options in Blender and does not introduce custom rig handling. The add-on also exposes options to embed textures directly into FBX or glTF files. Embedded textures can simplify handoff at the cost of larger file sizes and reduced flexibility. As with other options, this relies on Blender’s built-in exporters and inherits their constraints.

Installation and availability

The add-on is distributed via Gumroad here. It is currently free to download. Installation follows standard Blender practice. Users download the add-on archive, open Blender Preferences, choose to install from disk, and enable the add-on. Once installed, the Export tab appears in the 3D Viewport sidebar.

The author states that the tool has not been tested in every scenario and invites users to report bugs or suggest improvements. This positions the release clearly as an open testing phase rather than a finished commercial product.

Engines and expectations

The add-on explicitly targets Unity, Unreal and Godot. These targets are defined by export format rather than deep engine integration. There is no engine-side plugin, no automated import configuration, and no engine metadata generation. For Unreal and Unity, FBX is the intended format. For Godot, glTF is recommended. This reflects common practice rather than bespoke support.

What it is not

Export Helper Pro does not claim to be a pipeline manager, asset tracker, or versioning system. It does not replace Blender’s exporters, and it does not attempt to standardise asset naming or directory structures. It also does not attempt to solve instancing, LOD generation, collision mesh creation, or any of the other problems often bundled into export tools by marketing departments.

Its stated goal is narrower: reduce repetitive UI actions and make exports faster and more predictable.

Sensible expectations

For asset artists working solo or in small teams, Export Helper Pro offers a way to shave time off repetitive exports without introducing heavy infrastructure. For larger studios with established pipelines, it is unlikely to replace custom tooling. Its value lies in being small, direct and honest about its scope. It does one thing, and it does it in front of you, in a panel you can see.

As always, new tools and workflow changes should be tested carefully before being introduced into production environments.

// Export Helper Pro Gumroad page
// https://michaelbridges.gumroad.com/l/ExportHelperPro

The post One click exports and zero patience for menus from Blender to Unreal, Unity and more. first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

or those who don’t know the tool: Material Maker is an open-source procedural material authoring and 3D texture painting tool based on the Godot engine that lets artists create node-based PBR texture maps for engines like Godot, Unity and Unreal via visual graphs and export templates.

Material Maker 1.5: What’s New

Material Maker 1.5 has been released by developer Rod Zilla with upgrades focused on file format support, workflow improvements and additional nodes. The update introduces support for DDS image loading, a texture format widely used in game pipelines, and FBX mesh loading for previewing and working with 3D models directly inside the authoring environment.

A command-line interface (CLI) has been reinstated, allowing for scripted or batch export of materials without the GUI, which benefits automated pipelines and bulk processing. Workflow has been improved in the node graph editor with lasso selection and additional keyboard shortcuts, and there are updates to the Library and Reference panels, including a clipboard paste option for reference images. The release also adds 10 new nodes, including seven signed distance field (SDF) nodes, expanding procedural texturing capabilities.

Position in Production Toolchain

Material Maker remains positioned as a free alternative to subscription tools like Substance 3D Designer, targeting texture authors in games and VFX who prefer open-source, node-based workflows. It supports Windows, macOS and Linux and is licensed under MIT, allowing integration into both hobby and professional projects without licensing costs.

What It Means for Artists

Support for DDS and FBX aligns the tool with industry standards for game and real-time asset pipelines. The return of a CLI enables light automation and bulk tasks that were harder to do in earlier versions. New nodes broaden procedural control, though Material Maker remains primarily geared toward texture creation and export, not a full shader authoring suite. Users should evaluate the interface and output quality before integrating it into production workflows.

Official Material Maker devlog on itch.io
// https://rodzilla.itch.io/material-maker/devlog/1312764/material-maker-15

Material Maker official site description
// https://www.materialmaker.org/

The post Material Maker 1.5 adds DDS, FBX, CLI, 10 new nodes first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Godot users can now experience the drama of a boss fight while typing. Ridiculous Coding, a free editor extension by developer John Watson (aka jotson), adds real-time chaos to the script editor: screenshake, fireworks, progress XP bars, and visual effects every time you hit Enter.

The plugin’s only purpose is to make coding “less boring”. When you write code, it rewards progress with particle bursts and celebratory effects. Syntax errors might not yet trigger explosions, but judging from the developer’s sense of humour, it feels inevitable. Watson is also developing The Mailroom, a “cozy horror job simulator” built in Godot, where you process infernal paperwork in a small regional office of Hell, located in Modesto, California. Ridiculous Coding is available now in the Godot Asset Library. As with any experimental editor plugin, artists and developers should test stability before adding it to production pipelines.

Anyone curious how serious Godot development actually works might want to visit Helge Maus on Patreon. His in-depth courses and project breakdowns show Godot at work, without the fireworks.

The post Godot Now Shakes When You Code Badly first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.